V-Mart facing righties a day-to-day decision

DETROIT -- The Tigers are scheduled to face right-handed starting pitchers for the rest of the week. It appears manager Brad Ausmus will be checking with Victor Martinez each of those days to see how he feels swinging left-handed, the side that has given Martinez trouble in recent days with his surgically repaired left knee.

If Martinez feels good, he'll play. If not, he'll likely get a day off. It's going to be a day-to-day decision, Ausmus confirmed.

Martinez was in the lineup Tuesday against Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi, the first right-handed starter Martinez has faced in over a week. It's a decision Martinez pushed for as soon as he scored the go-ahead run in Monday's win over the Yankees.

"He said he feels good," Ausmus said. "He actually looked a lot better [Monday] than he did the day before."

Martinez went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in the Tigers' 5-2 loss on Tuesday. He had an awkward swing for strike three against reliever Chris Martin in the ninth.

"He had a couple good at-bats. He didn't look as good his last at-bat," said Ausmus, who talked briefly with Martinez in the clubhouse after the game.

The switch-hitting Martinez underwent surgery on a torn meniscus in February, an injury that bothers him more from the left side than the right.

"He will not hit righty against righty," Ausmus said. "We discussed it. That's not going to happen. At least as of right now, it's not going to happen."